95 thoughts on “Sketch!”

1. What a handsome devil! Still keeping my fingers crossed for him. I’m glad he’ll get to come home tomorrow. That will be the best medicine for you both, I’m sure.
   Sending mojo.

2. Hi Wil,
   This is my first time posting a comment to you. Your kitty looks like a sweet cat I used to have a long time ago. His name was PC (Personal Cat). I send lots of mojo to Sketch and you. I’m sure he will be much better once he gets home and sleeps on his own (your) bed.
   Lefty

3. Hey! Finally a Sketch pic! Glad fuzzy face is feeling better, and he will eat a lot better once he comes home, don’t worry.

4. *HUG*

5. Awwww…he is such a cute baby! Please do not be upset Wil, Sketch will do fine. It may be discouraging to hear what the Vet said, Sketch may do much better than expected. No one can know how long he has. Head up young person! 🙂

6. Sweet homecoming. Much good mojo.
   A long time from now youll say “wow remember when sketch got sick and we thought he might not live that long?” as you look over and make eye contact with him.
   keep yer Wil
   c

7. Wil,
   Glad to hear that Sketch is doing a bit better. I hadn’t read your site in a few days and was saddened to see the first one I slacked off on was your post about Sketch getting sick.
   My family and I have been through a lot of pets in our time and it’s always tough to loose one or have one be sick. I hope that he continues to improve as much as he can. Good luck.
   –Jessie

8. What a gorgeous guy!! He’ll eat once he’s home. Sending loads of Mojo his way!

9. Hey Wil, best wishes to you and your lil buddy. I lost my cat a few months ago. It’s amazing how much they become a part of your family.

10. doh
    meant to say “keep your chin up wil”

11. Wil,
    Your darling Sketch looks a lot like my Zizchosky-Houdini-Cheddar-Food-Stamp-Oyster-Coyster-Malo-Robitussin-Scatterpus-Quail. Ziggy and I read your books together. He, Juice, Gumby, Chowzer and I send our love.
    Azure

12. The vet told us our dog had 2-4 weeks after a particularly bad crash with cushings disease.
    He stuck around for 16 months, happy right up until the last minute.
    There is always hope.
    Full story at http://www.odonnellweb.com/mtarchives/000071.html if you are interested.

13. He looks pretty good! Troy is right — he will probably eat better when he gets home. Part of the reason he might not be eating, aside from feeling bad, is that he is homesick. Hope he gets better soon!

14. Wil,
    You have a nice looking cat. Good to see that things are getting better. I wish you lots of luck.
    FG

15. Not exactly an even comparison, but…when my grandma was diagnosed with CHF, they gave her 5-7 years. She made it 11…
    Still sending much mojo to your handsome kitty!

16. Aww, Sketch is so cute! Sorry to hear he may not have long. Treasure your time with him, he obviously loves you. Give him a hug for me, he’ll be in my thoughts. 🙂

17. i’m not for a second saying he only has six months, but the thing is, if he does, at least you got that extra time.
    i have a cat that’s really old and i’m pretty sure she’s not long for this world, and although i know it will be hard when she goes, i have the opportunity to show her i love her, give her lots of scritches and make sure she has a happy time in her last years. so you’ll get that chance too.
    but really, sketch could live for years to come, you never know.

18. Wil-
    I’m glad that you’re getting the opportunity to make the most of this with Sketch. I didn’t get the chance with Tiger. Had to bid farewell to Gandalf in advance. I envy you for this opportunity – make the most of it – best wishes and mojo…
    -Andrew

19. Awwww… poor thing. Very nice looking cat. I am glad it is all turning around…
    *looks for my own cat*
    Keep that chin up!

20. Sketch is a cutie! For what it’s worth, I’ve known of lots of cats with serious heart/circulatory conditions who lived years and years. Sketch looks good and he’s obviously well-loved, I think he’s going to be just fine.

21. I am sending the strongest kitty mojo I can muster. Isn’t it amazing how these fuzzbuckets steal our hearts. It’s plain to see that along with raising good kids, you raise good cats. They get that way because you love them. Keep it up will. Sketch will be so happy to be home with his family. I am still waiting for the news from your S.F. Trip. But Sketch does take priority over MacWorld. My best to you, Ann & the boys.

22. Sketch is adorable. My cat Smokey has been undergoing treatment for 2 years, and is happy, healthy and fatter than he was when he started.

23. Wil, I’ve been reading every single journal entry you’ve posted through LiveJournal… You’re a friend on my Buzznet, too…
    I send out much love to Sketch… and I hope you don’t have to go through the pain of losing him right now… My fiance is going through the same thing with his 16 year old toy poodle, Mia. A big hug out to you, and keep letting us know what’s going on.

24. Oh my. Sketch reminds me of Binky, who passed on when I was nine. She survived cancer surgery, and lived about a year or two after that. So it is quite possible to make it after a major illness. Sketch – what a handsome lil guy. I’m rooting for him!

25. He’s gorgeous.
    Cats tend to not eat when they’re upset. I think he just wants to go home to be with his family. I think you’re right about him wanting love and to be home. Wouldn’t you?
    My thoughts are still with him.

26. I don’t know how you feel about herbal remedies and the like, but if you are interested, there is some good advice here. I had high hopes that the site might offer me advice to help my cat Oz (who is asthmatic), but alas, most of the asthma advice sounds pretty hokey.
    At any rate, it’s just good sense to talk to your vet about any herbal or dietary supplements, but there are some that might help with his kidneys.
    *sending healthy-kitty-mojo your way*

27. I have had many, many animal companions over the course of my life. Right now one of my dogs is being treated for cancer and one of my cats is recovering from kidney failure. In fact two weeks ago tonight I was sure we would lose my sweet dog. She had suffered extensive liver damage from the chemo. She needed and had emergency surgery two weeks ago tonight. The vets said that 70% of the dogs that suffer this kind of liver damage do not survive. I brought her home and she just laid on the floor. I pulled out a futon, pulled her onto it and laid down next to her. I just sat with her, talked with her, told her over and over how much I loved her, and prayed for her (and me). One week later she was chasing the cats around the house and eating tons of food to make up for lost time. The vets were shocked at her amazing recovery. Love and following the vet’s advice may do more that you know. I’ll remember the “fat cat” tonight when I say my prayers for my guys.

28. awwww what a sweet kitty!!
    I am really glad to hear his doing better and I am glad he gets to come home.
    I am still sending plenty of kitty mojo love his way.
    *HUGS*

29. Try not to worry *too* hard about the “averages” thing. My kitty, Nyoka, has 75% kidney function failure. When the vet treated her. he told us that it was common for kitties to become anemic and die, even after all the good things we did for her, and that life expectancy was “on average” six months. Next month it will have been 3 years since that horrifying night when she collapsed, and she’s still the sweet, gentle and loving kitty she was before.
    Sure, she takes a bit more “maintenance” now. We have to give her subcutaneous fluids twice a week to flush out her kidneys – the first time I did it by myself a cried for an hour afterwards because it looked like it hurt her and I thought I did something wrong! – and she also takes little antacids to keep her mouth free of sores. But i wouldn’t have it any other way.
    Extra special love and mojo from Nyoka, Patches and Buster as well as our latest addition, Bubba (I have to stop taking in kitties, but how can I resist those big soulful eyes?)

30. Awww… I’m glad all the monkey mojo did the trick. I know it’s been one hell of a roller coaster ride these past few days. As silly as it may sound, I went through much the same kinds of feelings when I was around 13 and my guinea pig was having all sorts of severe health problems. It’s not the same as a cat, I suppose, but the bond is still there, especially with animals that are so playful. I remember taking her in for surgery (yes, surgery on a guinea pig), my heart skipping a beat whenever the phone would ring, and occupying myself by pacing around nonstop until I finally heard she would be all right. Whether it’s a guinea pig, a cat, or a good old-fashioned human, there’s nothing quite like the wash of relief and joy when the doctor/vet comes in with good news. I’m very happy for the both of you.

31. No matter what happens next, it’s crystal clear that your cat has been, is, and will continue to be fiercely loved. Lucky you, lucky cat. Thanks for your candid expression of that.

32. He’s cute! Still sending lots of kitty mojo from me & my two cats.
    Cats have a way of stealing your heart. I never had a cat before I got Cody almost 5 years ago, but now I can’t imagine being without them. I thought he’d be my only cat until I found a stray that’s been living with me for almost two years now.

33. wow, Sketch even looks a but like Dusty did. She lived for 13 months after dx, and those were *good* months. That’s what you hang onto. His quality of life can be *very* good, and you have time to make him Kitty King all the while.

34. A Big KYHO to you and Sketch!!!!!!!!!

35. Wil, your kitty is beautiful!
    Don’t despair about the vet’s estimate. I’m in kind of the same boat as you–my sweet little 4-year-old Russian Blue baby was diagnosed with feline lymphoma about a month ago and initially the doctor said the average prognosis is six months to a year after diagnosis. We were devastated. But I joined a mailing list for the disease and almost everybody there says vets are usually pessimistic, and many have cats who have held on much longer with chemotherapy. It’s even more encouraging on the feline-heart yahoo group (which I highly recommend to you, as many of the members there have HCM cats and are up on all the current treatment types…I mentioned this in your LiveJournal yesterday but someone told me you don’t always read the comments there)–HCM is treatable and manageable, and it’s obvious that you’re going to be there for Sketch with whatever treatment he needs.
    Keep your hope up, and I’ll give you the same advice our vet gave us: your kitty doesn’t know he’s sick. He’s still the same Sketch he was before he got diagnosed. Just keep on loving him. Good luck and good wishes to you and Sketch!

36. A face full of character.
    Health to Sketch.

37. That’s not a fat kitty. This is a fat kitty. http://www.nodal-point.com/misc/willy.jpg
    That is a size 15 shoe next to him. He is my baby. is 13 years old, and I have had him since he was about 4 months old. His name is Willy. He got really sick a couple of years ago and it was heart breaking. His “nephew”, Englebert, (i adopted him about 4 years ago and named after an Eddie Izzard skit about Mr. Humperdink and not Humperdink himself) got sick around the same time with a bad blood infection and that was bad, too. Anyway, sending some kitty and people mojo your way from Mississippi. Willy sends his mojo as well. As you can see he has a lot of it.

38. Sketch looks like a good friend… sending plenty of Mojo for him on a safe recovery and a welcome trip home.
    –T

39. I had to choke back my own tears reading about the average time Sketch has left. But then I got thinking – it’s not the time you have, it’s the quality of the time that you have with him and i’m sure you, Anne and the kids will make sure Sketch’s time is the most it can be.
    My thoughts go out to Sketch and your family.

40. Dear Wil,
    Sketch is beautiful!!!
    I am so glad to hear the good news that he’ll get to go home soon 🙂 I am sure his eating habits will improve once he is back with his most familiar environment: home with you, Anne, and the boys.
    Thank you for keeping us up-to-date with Sketch…he is a truly adorable cat.

41. See? Good things right around the corner.
    Mojo, mojo, mojo

42. i think its awesome how much love you have for your cats!

43. Hey Wil,
    New visitor to your blog. My family (me, wife, 3 cats) are all sending lots of thoughts for Sketch.
    I also wanted to say that it’s definitely not over until it’s over. We had a dear pet ferret that was terminally ill that lived for five times longer than the vet gave him… just make sure that cat is treated like a king. That’s the way they like it anyway, right?

44. oh damn thats one fine kitty. if i was a cat, i would so jump on that. 😉
    i hope so much that sketch’ll hang on for you Wil. i remember the day they put my boyfriend’s dog down… i cried for hours. i had spent years with that old puppy… the day i met her my boyfriend told me it was amazing she had lived as long as she did. And two years later, she was still going- weak, but happy. she would always run to meet me at the door, occasionally slipping on the hardwood floors but we’d pick her up and she was as happy as ever. oh i miss her. Get Well, Sketch!!! we’re all pulling for you!

45. Wil:
    Glad to hear that Sketch is getting better and better. Still sending positive vibes so that Sketch will continue to improve indefinitely! Blackie sends his purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrfect best to Sketch as well!
    Beautiful pic! I had never seen one of Sketch before.
    Break a leg, Wil! You too, Sketch!
    🙂
    Scott

46. Wil:
    Glad to hear that Sketch is getting better and better. Still sending positive vibes so that Sketch will continue to improve indefinitely! Blackie sends his purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrfect best to Sketch as well!
    Beautiful pic! I had never seen one of Sketch before.
    Break a leg, Wil! You too, Sketch!
    🙂
    Scott

47. BUCKETS OF WELL KITTY MOJO!
    I feel for you, Wil. My Kiki was diagnosed with cancer in May 2004, and I was able to love her for 6 more months before she died.
    My advice is to love your Sketch, be with him as much as you can, save up some good memories and lots of pictures and tuna. Don’t forget the tuna.
    Hugs to you and your family.
    -Deb

48. Awww… what a cute kitty! My sister has a Maine Coon named Max. He’ll be sending out tons of mojo for his Coony brother. So will I, and my babies (*sigh* here we go): Ozzy, Elton John, Kiki Dee, Evita, Little Jenni, Algernon, and my foster kitty, Anna. He’ll pull through, Wil. Hey, with this much kitty/monkey mojo, how can he not? *huggles*

49. Glad to hear that Sketch is headed home with you & the family.
    I hope he is healed quickly by all the love he is showered with.
    -Joz
    PS – Sorry I couldn’t stay around and say “hi” after What’s My Line. Great show, as always.

50. hey, sorry about your four-legged friend.
    wishing for the best!
    for(i = 0; i < infinity; i++)
         send(Sketch,Mojo);
    – steve d

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